


Pose Only for Me, Smile Only for Me

by PastelMarshmallows



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: 1st chapter has a lot of Viktor's POV, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, Ethan the OC is veeeeery touchy with his affections so someone's getting jealous, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Jealousy, M/M, Rating May Change, jealous!Viktor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 15:19:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10699695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PastelMarshmallows/pseuds/PastelMarshmallows
Summary: Viktor gets a bit upset when Yuuri's photographer bestie touches Yuuri a little ~too much~ in a photoshoot.2 or 3 chapter-fic of Jealous!Viktor getting all possessive with his beautiful fiancé!(or alternatively, no one can resist the amazing Yuuri Katsuki)Ratings may change in later chapter to E - we'll see how everything goes!





	1. Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone~ welcome to my second YOI fic! I've been trying to write fics in different ratings, and M/E fics is something I always struggled when I wrote fanfics for other fandoms - it always makes me feel too embarrassed to edit anything potentially overwhelmingly touchy/explicit! But I really wanted to give it more tried so here we are!!
> 
> This fic seriously started because I was writing something about Viktor getting jealous over Yuuri and leading to some...stuff. Not gonna spoil anything for this fic though~you'll see eventually :D  
> This fic is quite long in my opinion, but I've been working on this first chapter for a while now so I really hope you enjoy it!!  
> The 1st chapter is quite ok in terms of rating, nothing too much for the story...yet.  
> I would be very grateful if you could please read till the end and let me know your thoughts!! Compliments or criticisms are both highly appreciated!! I would love to hear your thoughts on this fic!!
> 
> Before we move on I'd just like to quickly thank @soulztheyoshi on tumblr for proofreading the rough draft for this and giving me some helpful feedback when I was editing this chapter - thank you so much!!  
> I also apologise for any grammatical/punctuation errors - English is not my first language >_< I would be super grateful if you let me know if you see any of them in this fic!
> 
> Alright~ now! Without further ado, please enjoy the first chapter!

The soft breeze swept the dark, crisp leaves off the ground, scattering them across the quiet streets of Hasetsu. Viktor and Yuuri walked together in comfortable silence, their held hands swinging gently as they strolled down the lane. It was a tranquil afternoon, and the two decided to take a walk around the town to rest from their vigorous training. Even though Hasetsu has been attracting some tourists upon Viktor’s arrival more than a year ago, today was a quiet day. The sun was warm in September, making everyone sleepy and rest in their own homes. A few people walked passed the couple, and they exchanged kind greetings with each other before moving on.

Immersed in the peaceful atmosphere, neither Viktor nor Yuuri were aware of the figure running towards them from behind. A man reached out his arms behind Yuuri, practically leaping towards him.

“Yuuri!” he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Yuuri and pulling him into a firm hug. The Japanese skater made a small squeak and his hand broke away from Viktor’s. He stumbled a few steps backwards, almost tripping as his body struggled to adjust to the sudden movements. Wriggling himself to be free from the embrace, Yuuri turned his head to look at the person.

Immediately looking back and witnessing Yuuri’s reaction, Viktor paced towards him. Grasping the unknown male’s arm in a firm grip, he questioned the stranger in his calmest voice possible (although it wasn’t very calm, to begin with),

“Excuse me, but could you please tell me what exactly you are—”

“Ethan!” Yuuri exclaimed, his startled face shifting into a knowing smile. Viktor’s hand moved away from the figure, his eyes staring at his fiancé in puzzlement, eyebrows raised. Viktor knew this smile. Yuuri only smiled this brightly when he was around his family, close friends, or Viktor.

The man who was hugging Yuuri let out a hearty laugh. He sent Viktor’s intent gaze a challenging look and before Viktor could reciprocate, the man’s focus returned to Yuuri.

“Aha! Guess you didn’t forget me after all, hey?” he teased, chuckling as he loosened his arm. Yuuri snickered and shoved the man lightly in retaliation. “Of course not!” he replied, “I didn’t know you came back from America!”

Placing his finger over his lips, Viktor hummed quietly and observed Yuuri. It was unusual to see him so comfortable with physical contact from others. Viktor recalled Yuuri interactions with his friends from the skating competitions: gentle smiles, occasional blushes, and sometimes, Yuuri would pat his friends on their backs to encourage them before their programs. Despite his confident, lively demeanour on the ice, away from the rinks, Yuuri was timid, and he’d easily shy away from other’s touches. Even when Viktor and Yuuri first became a couple, Yuuri was still quite shy to initiate any affections. This… ‘Ethan’ guy must be one of Yuuri’s close friends, like Phichit—maybe an even closer friend? Viktor nodded to himself; perhaps the two met each other when Yuuri moved to Detroit to train. A million questions emerged in Viktor’s mind, one after another, rising as quickly as bubbles in boiling water.

While Yuuri and Ethan chatted excitedly over something Viktor didn’t recognise (he guessed they were catching up and reminiscing shared memories), he quickly examined the friend. Ethan was slightly taller than Yuuri, but his height didn’t quite reach Viktor’s. He was wearing a loose, dark grey cardigan with a white shirt underneath, accompanied by black, fitting jeans that accentuated his slim legs. Dark, brown hair curled slightly at the ends of his locks, and his grey-blue eyes shone in energy when he gestured his arms eagerly to elaborate his sentences. Viktor noticed that Ethan was a very…friendly person, particularly in his way of showing affection. Seeing Ethan’s hands occasionally touching Yuuri here and there, Viktor frowned, a hint of bitterness forming inside him. However, since he saw no signs of discomfort from Yuuri, he reassured himself and resisted the urge to scowl.

Viktor cleared his throat, emphasising his presence behind the two. Immediately, both men turned around.

“I’m sorry, Viktor.” Yuuri apologised, moving away from Ethan with an embarrassed blush. He placed his hand on the back of his neck awkwardly and averted his gaze.

“Ethan and I haven’t seen each other for years…I didn’t mean to make you feel excluded.”

Viktor held his hand and gave him a comforting smile. He squeezed Yuuri’s hand softly, soothing his lover’s worries.

“It’s okay,” he reassured, smiling when he saw Yuuri’s tense shoulders relaxing. “May I have the honour of being introduced to your friend now?” he asked with a small hum.

Yuuri blushed for a different reason this time. “Of course,” he smiled, gesturing his hand toward his friend. “Viktor, this is Ethan. I met him when his family moved to Japan. And Ethan,” he turned towards the other male, “this is Viktor, my coach and…” Yuuri couldn’t help but lower his voice, “…my fiancé.”

“ _Oh my_ , looks like _somebody_ is getting shy,” Ethan laughed, poking Yuuri’s cheek childishly. The blushing male smiled and shook his head quickly, defending himself. Astonished by their playful interaction, Viktor raised his hand to shake Ethan’s waiting one. He was surprised by Ethan’s firm handshake, for it contradicted his laid-back appearance.

“Nice to meet you, Viktor!” Ethan grinned, “It’s so nice to finally see you in person!"

Sending his friend a knowing look, he continued, "I remember hearing Yuuri and Yuuko talking about you all the time when we were little – there was always a sparkle in Yuuri’s eyes when he told me about your latest routines!”

Yuuri gasped and patted Ethan’s shoulder quickly, signalling him to be quiet. The two taller males chuckled.

“Thank you, Ethan, the pleasure’s all mine,” Viktor responded, resisting the urge to look _too_ flattered with Ethan’s information.

Ethan acknowledged Viktor’s response with another smile. He turned towards Yuuri, giving him an impressed look.

“Though, I must say, Yuuri,” he added, placing his hand on Yuuri’s shoulder (and oblivious to Viktor’s fading smile), “I'd never thought that you’d be engaged to your childhood celebrity—that’s just unbelievable! Exactly what did you do to have such luck?”

The shortest man shrugged and dismissed his friend quickly. His friend snickered. Viktor tried his best not to push Ethan away from Yuuri.

Viktor asked how Yuuri and Ethan became friends, and the two friends’ eyes lit up at the same time, to his chagrin.

“It’s a bit of a long story,” Yuuri began, to which Ethan nodded in agreement. “Perhaps we can explain it over some coffee?”

Viktor didn’t expect himself to mind the word “we”, but his urge to frown proved him wrong.

 

The three men stopped at a nearby coffee shop and headed inside. When they walked in, they were immersed in the aromas of coffee and cakes. The room was fairly spacious, despite a few customers already sitting at various tables. White steam puffed from the coffee machines behind the counter, and there was a glass shelf that displayed rows of beautiful desserts. Along with the sound of coffee beans being ground, the other customer’s chattering created a vibe of energy in the place. The three males sat around a circular table near the window. While they arranged their chairs, Viktor made sure to pull Yuuri’s closer to him. Soon, a lady approached them with a bright smile and spoke softly as she took their orders. After she delivered their coffees with a small bow, Yuuri and Ethan began recounting their childhood eagerly – almost _too_ eagerly, in Viktor’s opinion. He mentally scolded himself to stop minding Ethan and Yuuri’s synced actions so much.

 _‘Yuuri does look quite comfortable around him though,’_ the voice in his head insisted, which Viktor ignored. Well, he tried to, anyway.

As briefly mentioned by Yuuri earlier, the two friends met each other for the first time when Ethan’s family moved to Hasetsu from New York. Ethan’s parents, who Yuuri recalled as “cheerful and optimistic”, worked as journalists for an American magazine.

Viktor smiled when he saw Yuuri’s delighted expression, but it quickly disappeared when Ethan poked Yuuri’s arm playfully in response to his comment. He subtly moved his chair closer to Yuuri’s, his legs were now centimetres away from his fiancé's.

Ethan’s parents’ articles specialised in Japan’s events and current affairs. With their bright, charismatic nature, Ethan’s family quickly became friends with everyone around their house – Yuuri’s family was one of them. As they lived in the same area, Ethan and Yuuri attended the same primary school, and as a result, their parents asked the two to walk to and from school together every day.

Although Yuuri was nervous and didn’t talk much during the first few days (Ethan melodramatically complained about his ‘hurt feelings’ as he described young Yuuri, shoulders slumping and looking down — to which Yuuri rolled his eyes jokingly), Ethan respected Yuuri’s feelings and was always very kind.

It was obvious the two friends did not notice Viktor’s intent glare at Ethan. They carried on immediately.

Eventually, one morning on their way to school, Yuuri initiated a small conversation and asked Ethan how he was finding life at Hasetsu. Since they did not speak the same language as their mother tongue, it was awkward for them to exchange sentences at the start. That was when the two decided to teach each other their own languages, which began their friendship. Each morning and afternoon, Ethan and Yuuri taught each other vocabularies or phrases that were used in daily conversations. Ethan taught Yuuri the English alphabet, and in return, Yuuri introduced Hiragana and Katakana to Ethan (Yuuri laughed when he teased Ethan about his struggles to learn the ‘complicated strokes’, and Viktor almost smirked at the American’s flustered response).

Thankfully, Ethan learnt Japanese quickly as all of his classmates and teacher at school conversed with him. Everyone was interested in the American student. Once Ethan became proficient in Japanese, the two friends started to teach each other the cultures in their countries. By that time (which was about a month), Yuuri was already familiar with Ethan’s talkative personality as well as his affectionate pats on the back or hugs. Ethan often invited Yuuri to visit his house, where he showed the Japanese boy photos of neon lights and bustling city streets in New York. On the other hand, Yuuri would take Ethan to various places in Hasetsu, where they played hide and seek, explored new areas and talked about Japan’s festivals. The American fawned over the unique scenery of Hasetsu, and he explained that it was through his ‘adventures’ with Yuuri, that he developed his love for photography.

Although Yuuri and Ethan were inseparable, the differences in their passion lead to less of their time being spent together. Ever since Yuuri began training for figure skating competitions, his training sessions after school replaced his adventures with Ethan. Even when Ethan visited the ice rink to take photos or talk with Yuuri, they never had enough time to catch up properly, nor were they able to schedule specific times to play or talk. As a result, the two began spending less time together, and it wasn’t helpful when Ethan’s parents decided to return to New York with Ethan when middle school came around. Yuuri and Ethan both remembered that afternoon, farewelling with tight hugs and puffy red eyes at Hasetsu train station. They both promised to stay in touch through emails or letters, but they both had busy lives themselves. The time difference between America and Japan also made it difficult for them to video call each other, but Ethan and Yuuri made sure to always send each other photos or letters whenever they could. Now that they have reunited, the two friends couldn’t be more excited.

While Yuuri stayed in Japan and trained to become a figure skater, Ethan pursued his passion for photography in America. His parents were very supportive of his goals and dreams, and fortunately, Ethan’s works were highly valued in his academy. He has participated in various internships across different companies, and currently, he was taking a small break from everything. As he wanted to search for inspirations for his next work, Ethan figured Hasetsu would be a suitable place, seeing it was here where he developed his love for photography.

 

While listening to Yuuri and Ethan's talking, Viktor was thoroughly entertained by Ethan's story-telling skills: he was very engaging with his words, and Viktor found himself smiling a lot more than he thought. However, those thoughts washed away when he saw Ethan placing light touches on Yuuri's shoulder or back. Additionally, a million thoughts raced through his mind when he heard Yuuri and Ethan’s story. He imagined Yuuri as a child with his schoolbag on his back, greeting his neighbours each day as he left his house. He also thought about Yuuri’s innocent laugh as he watched Ethan struggling to learn Hiragana, when he ran in the parks and laughing when he tagged Ethan ‘it’. His mind pictured Yuuri skating as a teenager, and wondered if Yuuri was able to create music with his body that was just as beautiful as Viktor saw him. It was a heart-warming thought, honestly — to hear about Yuuri’s childhood in Hasetsu; the places he went to, the people he talked to, the things he laughed and joked about…Viktor’s heart swelled with happiness.

However, he was not there to witness everything in person.

Instead of Yuuri telling him all these things by himself, Ethan was part of Yuuri’s childhood, and now he was here to join his friend to snicker over their memories.

Ethan was the one who walked to and from school with Yuuri every day when they were young; Ethan was the one who Yuuri cared for, when Yuuri asked him how he was finding life in Hasetsu; Ethan was the one to explore Hasetsu with Yuuri, to play various games and chase each other around the streets; Ethan was the one to make Yuuri smile brightly (even now) when he didn’t understand Hiragana; Ethan was the one who took photos of Yuuri as he skated – did he still have those photos of Yuuri now? Viktor contemplated whether he should ask or not. Even if he did have those photos (which would be the answer Viktor did _not_ want to hear), was there anything Viktor could do?

Yuuri was not the only person who knew everything about his childhood: someone else, someone that was _not_ Viktor (his heart stung at the thought), was there to see and experience everything with him. His adorable, genuine smile that made Viktor’s heart race, his laughs that sounded like symphony to Viktor’s ears, his eyes that lit in excitement that took Viktor’s breath away…Ethan saw all of this before Viktor, and it was painful to think about it.

The mere thought of having someone being so close to Yuuri, _his_ Yuuri, was lovely, yet overwhelming. Viktor’s fist clutched and he pushed them onto his lap, sinking into the top of his thighs. A ball of bitterness grew rapidly within him, tainting the gentle thoughts of Yuuri when he was young. The Russian glanced at his lover and the photographer, and his chest felt tight when he saw them exchanging knowing looks at each other.

‘ _It's fine_ ,’ he repeated in his mind, _‘they haven't seen each other in years. Yuuri is very close to him. You are the one who’s engaged to Yuuri right now, not him. Ethan is only Yuuri’s childhood friend, there is no way he means more than you to Yuuri…’_

He echoed his own thoughts in his head, _‘Control yourself, Viktor_.’

Just when he thought he was settled, he was wrong.

Viktor almost scowled when he saw Ethan (that damned photographer) reaching towards his Yuuri again and pinching Yuuri’s cheek with his fingers – has he no boundaries? However, that was not the only thing making him upset. Why did Yuuri laugh? Why was Yuuri tolerating these touches? Why didn’t Yuuri flinch away in disgust? Why did Yuuri – why did he giggle and _ruffled Ethan’s hair in return_? Yuuri only touched one person’s hair, and that person was Viktor, _not_ Ethan.

Viktor started thinking about shoving Ethan away from _his_ Yuuri. Sure, the two friends could be close, but that did not mean it was okay for Ethan to act so affectionate like Viktor—

“That reminds me, Yuuri,” Ethan began, sipping his now slightly cooled coffee, “I’m actually quite glad that I ran into you here.”

Yuuri hummed and raised his left eyebrow. Viktor paused his bubbling thoughts and mirrored Yuuri's expression, eyeing the photographer suspiciously.

Taking a deep breath first, Ethan then softened his expression.

“You see, for my next work series, I've been thinking about what different poses and positions humans can achieve, how far they can stretch their limits, all that challenging stuff,” he pointed, “for me, I find it difficult to establish a clear idea when I don’t have any photo references to work with.”

The American smiled and looked up at Yuuri, his eyes glistening with hope.

“I saw your skating during your competitions last year on the TV, and I was amazed at how wonderfully your body creates movement. You were…incredible”

Viktor mentally scoffed at that comment.

 _‘Of course he was incredible. Yuuri’s skating is beautiful, I made sure to maximise his charisma._ ’

“I was wondering, Yuuri…if you would be interested in doing a photoshoot with me sometime for me to get some inspirations? It’s nothing too professional; I might ask you to do some poses that require high flexibility or stretches. Watching your routines, I think you can easily pose a few highly difficult positions for me. With your experience as a figure skater, I would be forever grateful if you could help me out a little." Ethan leaned forward a little and widened his smile.

"That way, you'd also get to see what kind of things I do as a photographer.” He suggested in a hopeful voice.

The Japanese skater blinked for a few seconds, taking his time to register his friend's sentence just then. Sitting beside him, Viktor glared at Ethan in disbelief— what kind of absurd request was this? His breathing paused for a second and his shoulders stiffened. All three of them didn't speak for a few minutes, the low buzz of the coffee shop's noise filled in the silent gap.

Viktor’s eyes narrowed as he thought about Ethan’s sentence. Why did Ethan lean in with a smile? Did he not know about Yuuri’s insecurities? Did he honestly think that he was able to persuade Yuuri to—

Yuuri cleared his throat before responding.

“I…” he hesitated; eyes staring down at the cup of coffee in his hands. Viktor instinctively wrapped his right arm around Yuuri’s waist, pulling him somewhat closer to him in a comforting gesture. The photographer noticed immediately and went on,

“Of course, it’s completely fine if you reject this favour, Yuuri.” He explained, patting his friend’s hand to reassure him, “I just thought it was worth asking. You being comfortable is my top priority.”

“He’s right, darling,” Viktor agreed, turning around and kissing Yuuri’s hair. He looked at Yuuri and gave him a smile, “it’s okay if you don’t want to do this.”

“T-That’s not it, both of you,” Yuuri stuttered, giving Viktor a small smile before looking back up at his friend, “Ethan, I’d love to model for your photo-shoot…but,” he averted his gaze, “I’m just...not sure if I can be helpful for your references.”

Surprised by his friend’s response, Ethan chuckled. Viktor’s arm around Yuuri’s waist tightened. “Yuuri! You are too modest,” Ethan exclaimed, “I can assure you, you will be fine. I am so relieved to hear that you’re interested in the photoshoot—it means a lot to me. Don’t worry about anything; this is a casual shoot that would help me with my ideas, after all. I have a few makeup assistants that can help you with the setup, and I will be there all the time so I will guide you and explain all the positions I’d like you to pose in. Seriously, Yuuri, thank you so much for saying ‘yes’.”

Yuuri’s face lit up with a relieved smile, his eyes now filled with excitement.

“In that case…I’d love to help.” He blushed. He turned towards the Russian and asked, “Viktor, would it be alright if we reschedule our training a little for this?”

Viktor looked back at him and paused, a million thoughts racing through his mind.

Why...did Yuuri say yes? What was going to happen at the photoshoot? Was this how close Ethan was to Yuuri? For him to agree to participate in something like this at such short notice?

‘ _Don’t be stupid, Viktor. Yuuri has not seen Ethan for years; you understand that feeling, right?’_

_‘Let Yuuri have fun, it will make him happy.’_

The older male groaned in his mind and collected his thoughts.

With a smile, he nodded, “I’m sure that will be fine, darling. It’ll be nice for you to catch up, too.”

Something about Viktor’s smile seemed…off, Yuuri noticed. Although Viktor’s smile was genuine as usual, the look in his eyes said something otherwise. Yuuri stared at Viktor a few seconds before he was attacked by another one of Ethan’s affectionate hugs.

“Thank you so much, Yuuri and Viktor! I already have a good feeling about my next work!”

Both Yuuri and Ethan were too busy laughing to notice Viktor's hurt expression.

 

About 20 minutes later, the three men exchanged their contact details before leaving the coffee shop and parting their ways. After bidding farewell at the cheerful photographer, Viktor and Yuuri held hands again and continued their walk.

As they wandered around the shops, Yuuri could tell that something was on Viktor’s mind. He was standing closer to Yuuri, and his hand held Yuuri’s tighter.

“Viktor,” he called, turning around to look at the older man, “is…everything alright? You’re acting a bit different since we ran into Ethan.”

The taller male stopped walking and sighed, running his free hand through his fringe after a few seconds. Gazing back at Yuuri with a somewhat vulnerable expression, he explained,

“It’s…nothing, really. I just…didn’t expect you to have an affectionate friend like Ethan. The way you two chatted so eagerly and the way you reciprocated his affectionate touches…I’m a little surprised that I haven’t heard you talk about him before, I guess.” he laughed dryly.

The two of them stared at each other, and Viktor's eyes shifted away as he blushed a little.

Immediately, Yuuri held onto both of Viktor’s hands and lifted them near his lips, planting a light kiss on each hand (he kissed the ring when kissing Viktor's right hand) and making Viktor breath hitch. Pulling away with a playful smile on his face, Yuuri laughed.

“So that’s why you looked worried, Vitya.” He sighed, looking back at his blushing fiancé with an amused look. Resisting the urge to tease Viktor’s flustered expression, he clarified.

“I’m sorry I haven’t told you about Ethan before today; whenever I’m with you, Viktor, I rarely think about other people.”

He stood on his tiptoe and gave Viktor a small kiss on the tip of his nose. Leaning back, Yuuri giggled when he saw Viktor's childish pout.

“You’re not supposed to make me blush like that, Yuuri.” The taller male mumbled.

Yuuri laughed and poked Viktor’s cheek playfully, “Well, I can’t help it when my fiancé is getting jealous over me reuniting my childhood best friend, can I?” he teased.

Viktor gasped, “I wasn’t jealous!!”                    

“Mhm? Are you sure about that?” the other pressed on. Viktor groaned before stuttering,

"I, I said yes to changing our training schedules so you could help him out with the photoshoot."

It definitely did not sound like a strong argument to Yuuri,"Of course, Vitya. The look in your eyes _totally_ did not tell me otherwise."

“Yuuuuuri,” Viktor complained, drawing Yuuri’s name out into a small whine and pulling him into a hug,

“I wasn’t …jealous.” he insisted stubbornly.

“Alright, alright” the shorter male chortled, accepting his favourite hug. He patted Viktor’s back a few times comfortingly before he spoke again. “Really, though,” he murmured, “Ethan is just a very affectionate guy in general, and since he’s a photographer, it’s only natural for him to initiate physical contact when he always readjusts models’ poses, right?”

Yuuri laughed again when he sensed Viktor tightening his hug. He pulled back regretfully and held Viktor’s face with his two hands.

“Everything will be fine at the photoshoot, okay?” he reassured, looking at Viktor with a more serious expression.

He smiled when Viktor nodded, even though the pout didn’t completely leave his face.

“Come on, Viktor,” Yuuri grinned, turning around and pulling Viktor’s hands with him as he continued their walk, “let’s get going before I hear you whine more about Ethan.”

“I told you I wasn’t jealous!!”

But Yuuri’s laugh was enough for his response.

 

On their walk back to Yutopia Hot Springs, Viktor felt a lot better about the afternoon. ‘ _It was going to be fine, Yuuri already said so_ ,’ he told himself.

And of course, the photoshoot would be nothing more than Ethan taking photos of Yuuri posing…right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was doing the last editing today, I was listening to Lana Del Rey's new song - Lust for Life, on repeat - I love her songs so much!! 
> 
> If you made it to the end of chapter 1, thank you so, so much!! It means a lot to me when people read my works, and I just want to give you a big hug for being patient with this fic. *cries of happiness and appreciation*
> 
> Please feel free to let me know if you have any comments/opinions about the story so far, currently I'm planning for this fic to be 2 or 3 chapters, depending on how everything goes when I write more~  
> The next chapter is most likely going to be uploaded after a few weeks or so, because after this weekend I'm having most of my exams at uni and I don't think I'd have time to work on any fics then!
> 
> So~ how did you find it? Did you like the general gist so far? Was there anything about the OC (Ethan) that intrigued you? Let me know by leaving a comment or kudos - they motivate me even more to work harder!!
> 
> Again, thank you so much for reading this so far, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! You can follow me on tumblr @ice-skating-nerds to ask me anything about my fanfics or just talk to me about anything (YOI-related or not~)
> 
> That's all for now - thank you for reading!! Take care everyone!!  
> ~Pastel Marshmallows~


	2. Short Update - I'm alive!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note

Hi everyone!! This is just a note letting you guys know that I'm still alive and I'm keen to keep working on this fic! Even though I'm on holidays now, there's been lots of things going on and with less than 1 week of holidays left, I'm really hoping to get one chapter out at least!! Wish me luck guys!

Thanks for all the comments/feedback from the first chapter! They motivate me to continue to write <3

See you all for now~


	3. Reaction

//Ding!!//

Viktor groaned as he rolled around on the bed, waking up to the phone notification sound. There were no trainings scheduled for today, and Viktor was determined to at least get some extra sleep in the morning. Judging from the birds chirping outside, it must have been quite early. Viktor pushed himself up into a sitting position, the blankets pooled around his waist as he did so. A sleepy yawn escaped his mouth as he stretched his arms, and he shivered slightly at the loss of heat around his body.

Viktor felt exhausted. His neck ached from tussling around throughout the night, and his mind was clouded with drowsy thoughts. He struggled to keep his eyes opened, and his head felt lightheaded, as if he was floating in the air. The man considered lying down back onto the bed to get more sleep, but he knew that would only exhaust him more.

Making sure he wasn’t disturbing Yuuri, who was sleeping peacefully next to him, Viktor carefully reached towards the two phones on the nightstand beside their bed. There was a message notification on Yuuri’s phone screen. Viktor tilted the phone and glanced at the notification on the lockscreen. He squinted his eyes to adjust to the brightness in the dim room.

‘ _It’s probably another message from Phichit about his training shenanigans,’_ The man thought to himself, smiling as he recalled the memories from Yuuri’s past competitions. He blinked a few more times before looking at the notification properly.

His smile faded away when he saw the message.

 

**_Message from Ethan S, 2 mins ago:_ **

_Goooooood morning Yuuri! Can’t wait to see you later today! ;)_

 

Of course, this reminded Viktor why he had trouble sleeping in the past few days.

Viktor groaned again—this time with slight frustration—as he recalled what happened a few days ago.

 

* * *

To Viktor’s dismay, Ethan contacted Yuuri the very next day after their reunion at the coffee shop. During break time in their training, Viktor noticed Yuuri texting on the phone with a knowing smile on his face. It was uncommon of Yuuri to do so, checking his phone to contact his friends during breaks. Most of the time, Yuuri would be stretching, chatting with Yuuko, or discussing his routine with Viktor. Even if he did text or call his friends, it would have always been before or after their training sessions.

“Who are you texting, Yuuri?” Viktor asked, approaching his student and hugging him from behind. He kissed Yuuri’s softly on his left cheek before resting his head onto Yuuri’s shoulder. Viktor smiled when he felt Yuuri leaning back to him in response.

“I’m texting Ethan,” Yuuri replied, showing the conversation on his phone, “He’s letting me know what kind of things to expect at the photoshoot.”

“Really?” Viktor hummed, snuggling closer to have a better look (that was what he told himself, anyway).

As Viktor’s eyes skimmed through the conversation, a familiar ball of bitterness began to form within him.

Although he knew how cheerful and engaging Ethan was in person, he certainly did not expect all the emoticons, unnecessary exclamation marks, or even, god forbid, _winks_ or _kissy faces_ that Ethan sent to Yuuri. It wasn’t as if Viktor didn’t send texts like this to Yuuri, no—Viktor never hesitated to send love hearts or kissy emoticons in their conversations, and his heart always swelled with joy when Yuuri reciprocated them. However, that was _their_ way of communicating, and Viktor preferred to keep it that way, too. He made sure to reread the texts so he did not misinterpret anything, but his heart only pained when his eyes confirmed the friendly conversation.

Why did Yuuri smile when Ethan texted so affectionately with him? Why did Yuuri’s cheeks blush in embarrassment, yet he didn’t ask Ethan to stop? Was Yuuri comfortable with these texts because Ethan was _that_ close to him? Or perhaps, Viktor’s way of texting has changed how Yuuri perceived affectionate messages? Questions were rising one after another in Viktor’s head again, and Viktor felt like he was being thrown into the darkness full of uncertainty.

“You sound…very excited about the photoshoot, Yuuri,” Viktor commented, frowning as he saw Yuuri sending a stuck-out tongue emoticon to his friend. (To be honest, he wasn’t sure if Yuuri considered Ethan as a mere ‘friend’, but his mind was too horrified to even wander to such thoughts.)

“Of course,” Yuuri replied in a soft tone, “I mean, I’ve seen Ethan taking photos before when we were young, but I’ve never seen how he works during an actual photoshoot. I’ll be helping out as a model, too, so I’m really excited.”

“Is that so…” Viktor responded, his voice low and quiet. What was so exciting about Ethan’s photoshoot, anyway? Viktor was sure that Yuuri would’ve had some sort of experience with photoshoots when he worked with his sponsors or other companies in the past. It would have been impossible for Yuuri to have no experience whatsoever in modelling for photoshoots. That means…Yuuri was excited because _Ethan_ was going to be the photographer and directing the photoshoot? Viktor’s heart sank at the thought.

He felt offended, knowing that Yuuri was even thinking about _that person_ during their training (well, technically, Yuuri was on his break, but Viktor still didn’t like the idea of Ethan bombarding Yuuri’s thoughts like this. Yuuri was supposed to be resting, or doing something else that was _beneficial_ ). Did Ethan mean _that_ much to Yuuri?

Was Ethan as important to Yuuri…as him?

Yuuri snickered when he felt Viktor snuggling against his neck and placing kisses across his jawline, which eventually lead to his chin, and the back of his ear. His breath hitched when he felt Viktor’s hand reaching around and—

“V-Viktor,” Yuuri stuttered, his face began to flush, “Wh-what are you doing?”

The taller man hummed in response, dismissing Yuuri’s question. His kisses became bolder as he pressed himself against Yuuri’s body harder. His hands lowered from Yuuri’s chest to his abdomen, making sure to trace everywhere on Yuuri’s body. How dare Ethan evaded Yuuri’s mind, even when Yuuri was training with Viktor. Viktor began to kiss more feverishly, his hands pressing further against Yuuri.

Yuuri gasped, “We..we can’t…Viktor!”

The older male chuckled against Yuuri’s ear.

A chilling shiver tingled down Yuuri’s spine.

“You better not mess up your routines later, Yuuri” Viktor whispered, before kissing quickly behind Yuuri’s ear.

“Viktor!” Yuuri exclaimed, turning around and facing Viktor’s smile with an embarrassed pout, “you’re so mean!”

The Russian laughed and skated away from his student, facing his back towards Yuuri and quickly moving to the opposite side of the rink.

“You have 20 minutes left of break to clear up your thoughts, Katsuki Yuuri~”

Of course, Viktor made sure to add another loud laugh and did not look back when he headed towards the changing room.

He did not want Yuuri to see his expression.

 

* * *

Resisting the immediate urge to simply throw Yuuri’s phone across the bedroom, Viktor sighed to himself and put the phone down. His right hand supported his forehand as his eyebrows furrowed into a frown.

He knew what was going to happen today, and as much as he wanted to hog Yuuri all to himself for the whole day, Viktor knew that Yuuri and him agreed to help the photographer.

In the past few days, Ethan occasionally sent texts to let Yuuri know what was happening at the photoshoot. To be honest, Viktor was grateful for Ethan’s thoughtfulness: he made sure Viktor and Yuuri were aware of the photoshoot schedule, as well as any preparations, tips, or any other useful information. It made Yuuri feel more relaxed about everything, and his performances during training remained unaffected.

Nevertheless, Viktor still felt concerned about what was going to happen at the photoshoot. Today’s event was a photoshoot to create references for future projects. Considering Ethan wanted to explore different positions the human body could achieve, and he would be the only photographer directing and running the photoshoot, surely, there would be lots of instructions from Ethan. He would probably ask Yuuri to pose in strange, challenging positions. Would he simply explain these poses to Yuuri? No, Viktor shook his head at the thought. Ethan would definitely be doing a _lot_ more than that, and Viktor wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to endure it.

Ethan readjusting Yuuri’s poses during the photoshoot.

Yuuri smiling and laughing out loud when Ethan tickles him by _accident._

Ethan touching Yuuri’s body everywhere to create numerous bizarre positions.

Yuuri and Ethan snickering at the awkward poses.

Ethan roaming his hands over Yuuri.

Yuuri being perfectly fine with it.

Ethan touching Yuuri.

_His_ Yuuri.

And Viktor agreed to let it happen. He gave the photographer permission to let Yuuri participate the photoshoot instead of resting in their beds the whole day, where they could have chatted about random things, binge-watched some cliché TV shows, or read some interesting books—anything but participating Ethan’s photoshoot.

Ruffling his own hair while mentally scolding himself for his decision, Viktor sighed again. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a soft snore from Yuuri beside him, which was followed by Yuuri shuffling his body closer towards Viktor.

The Russian looked down at his fiancé, his gaze soft with endearment and adoration. Yuuri was beautiful, even when he slept. His messy bed hair framed his face; accentuating his features. Dark, long lashes contrasted against his pale skin in the dim room. His cheeks wore a small blush and his lips parted slightly, moving slowly as Yuuri breathed. To this day, Viktor still could not believe the fact that the man of his dreams would be by his side. The man who suddenly appeared in his life full of charm and kindness, who made Viktor feel so _alive_ again…Viktor could not be more grateful to have Yuuri in his life, and he cherished every single moment they shared together.

Viktor leaned down and kissed Yuuri’s forehead, before moving onto kissing his eyelids, nose, cheeks, and lastly, his lips.

‘ _Yuuri,_ ’ Viktor repeated his favourite world to himself, pulling back a little and observing his fiancé’s peaceful face, ‘ _my everything,’_ he added.

His blue eyes wandered to the ring on Yuuri’s right hand and he smiled to himself. He lay down beside Yuuri and held his right hand with Yuuri’s.

‘ _I hope you have fun at the photoshoot today.’_

 

* * *

“Yuuri!” The photographer beamed, giving the skater a big hug right after Yuuri and Viktor walked through the door, “I’m so happy to see you! Thank you again for being able to help out!” he laughed.

“You’re welcome, Ethan,” Yuuri smiled, returning the hug before pulling back, “I’m really excited to see what kind of things you do at photoshoots, too. I’ll be in your care today.” He blushed and did a small bow.

Viktor smiled to himself. He knew Yuuri always wanted the best for the people he cared about. 

“Of course,” Ethan answered, bowing in return, “I cannot thank you enough for saying yes to my request!”

“I would also like to thank you, Viktor,” the photographer added, turning towards Viktor, “thank you for taking your time today to help out the photoshoot, I understand you two have very busy schedules, so I’ll try my best to make it a quick one!”

“My pleasure,” Viktor responded, “If there’s anything I can help with to run the photoshoot smoothly, please don’t hesitate to call out.”

Ethan flashed another big smile before gesturing the two towards the setup.

 

* * *

“You’re doing really well, Yuuri! Hold on for a few seconds…that’s it!”

The photoshoot has been running pretty quickly, and within an hour, Yuuri has already posed most positions Ethan asked him to do. Ethan had some photos and a sketchbook with him, so he could sketch out any poses for Yuuri. When there were any positions that were a bit too strange, he would explain by guiding Yuuri’s body to those poses. Yuuri listened carefully in return, and tried his best to follow the directions. Viktor, on the other hand, remained quiet as he stood at the back of the room, his eyes never looking away.

Viktor could tell that Ethan was an experienced photographer. His instructions were clear and informative, which allowed Yuuri to understand straightaway and adjust his position accordingly. Arch your back a bit more, extend your left arm, lift your chin towards the light…it was as if the two had worked together for years. Their coordination was harmonic, Ethan’s camera flashes almost never stopped.

Well, there was only one thing that bothered Viktor…

Ethan was just as touchy even when he was working.

Sure, it was inevitable for Ethan to touch Yuuri sometimes when he wanted to explain any poses, but Viktor was certain there were many unnecessary touches involved. The photographer would put his arm around Yuuri’s shoulder when he explained the next pose; he would trace his hand across Yuuri’s arm to ‘demonstrate’ any positions; he would tickle or jab Yuuri playfully ‘by accident’ at times; and he always, _always_ , stood a little too close towards Yuuri.

Viktor crossed his arms and his fists clenched into his clothes. He was overthinking, he scolded himself mentally. Ethan was a very friendly guy, and Viktor already learned that when he first met the man. Besides, Yuuri and Ethan were close friends since childhood; it was only natural for them to act so comfortably around each other…right?

However, it wasn’t Ethan’s gestures that made Viktor so unsettled, it was Yuuri’s reaction to his friend’s behaviour.

Viktor did not want to look away from his lover, but the pain in his chest was begging desperately for him to do so. He lost count on how many deep breaths he took, and he walked around at the back of the room to ease his racing thoughts.

Instead of backing away or telling Ethan to stop, Yuuri always scold him playfully or retaliated Ethan’s touches. When Ethan made a teasing remark, Yuuri only snickered and replied with a sassy response. He did not flinch when Ethan touched his arms, his waist, or his legs…those touches did not seem to bother him. Sometimes, instead of Ethan being the one to initiate any touches, it was Yuuri who bumped playfully against the photographer, and the two would laugh together before focusing onto their task again.

Why was Yuuri so comfortable with Ethan’s gestures? Why did Yuuri look so happy even when Ethan teased him? Viktor couldn’t answer these questions, and the unknown was driving him insane.

He remembered that afternoon when the two friends discussed their memories about growing up together. Viktor remembered the knowing glances Yuuri shared with Ethan as they reminisced something Viktor wasn’t a part of. Viktor remembered the way Yuuri and Ethan poked each other jokingly when they brought up an inside joke that Viktor did not understand. He remembered how isolated he felt, even though the two friends were sitting right next to him and recounting their friendship to him.

Viktor loved Yuuri with all of his heart, and he knew that Yuuri loved him just the same in return. Nevertheless, Viktor couldn’t help but wonder if Ethan was someone who Yuuri loved with the same amount of love, and the thought terrified him.

It was true, Viktor didn’t grow up with Yuuri – he did not know Yuuri when they were both young. Instead, it was Ethan who created and shared those wonderful memories with Yuuri. They were able to talk about the years they’ve spent with each other, the places they’ve visited, and the games they’ve played…Viktor wasn’t there with Yuuri, and he could never understand Yuuri’s exact emotions from his childhood, even if Yuuri chose to explain them to him. Did Viktor really know everything about Yuuri? Did he understand Yuuri enough to support him and encourage him? Was he…enough for Yuuri?

Viktor was sinking in a pool of uncertainties, and he could sense himself drowning. It was becoming too difficult for him to breath, and he wanted someone to pull him out of his racing thoughts. The first person that came into his mind was Yuuri…yet, how could Yuuri save him, when it was Yuuri who made him fall into this mess in the first place? He suddenly felt so isolated from Yuuri; the more he struggled, the further he felt Yuuri drift away.

Viktor wanted to push Ethan away – he wanted Ethan to return to America, or wherever as far as possible away from Yuuri (for the moment, anyway). He wanted to pull Yuuri close, away from Ethan’s revolting affections. He wanted to wrap his arms around Yuuri and hug him tight; he wanted to run his hands everywhere over Yuuri and kiss him, to claim Yuuri as his, and—

“Oh my god! Don’t say that Ethan!!” Yuuri’s loud laugh interrupted Viktor’s thoughts, and his attention shifted back onto the photoshoot. For a brief second, he could not believe his own eyes.

Ethan was standing behind Yuuri and he had _both_ of his hands around Yuuri’s waist. His head was resting on top of Yuuri’s left shoulder, and Yuuri was blushing furiously. The photographer smirked and whispered something into Yuuri’s ear, making the skater gasp and hit back softly in response. Gesturing his head towards Viktor, Yuuri gave Ethan a look, as if he was communicating something.

Viktor froze; his eyes widened, his lips clenched together, his hands now resting beside his side trembled, and he forced his legs to stand straight to support his body. His mind was blank and filled with overwhelming thoughts at the same time; he heard silence and thousands of whispers all of a sudden. His mouth was dry. His face was numb.

His heart stopped.

Making eye contact with the man at the back of the room, Ethan winked and quickly pecked behind Yuuri’s ear before letting go of Yuuri, who scolded him and glanced back at Viktor concernedly.

Viktor felt like his heart was ripped in half.

And again.

And again.

And again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * jumps through window and breaks glass everywhere *  
> HELLO EVERYONE IT’S BEEN A WHILE
> 
> I’m so sorry for the late update wahhh!!! _:(´□`」 ∠):_  
> I’ve been procrastinating too much again and there’s a lot more things in my life for me to manage now!! *cries* 
> 
> I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas (if you celebrate it!) and New Year!! I got to go to Japan for 2 weeks during Christmas and I even got to go to the YOI Museum in Osaka!!! It was really really fun and I just felt so happy hehe (つω⊂* )
> 
> Anyway!!  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter~ Thank you so much for being patient and leaving kudos/comments! They motivate me to work hard and it warms my heart to know that there are people out there reading my writings! I will continue to do my best! (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و 
> 
> The boys shall get everything sorted out in the next chapter!! We might have to change the rating for the fic (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
> 
> Please feel free to leave a comment or kudo and let me know how you feel about this chapter/the story! I appreciate any compliments and/or criticisms! I can’t thank you guys enough for all the support and reading!  
> You can also find me on tumblr @i-wish-youd-never-retire!
> 
> I’ll see you all in the next chapter ♥  
> ~PastelMarshmallows~


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